Containers for food products such as cookies and other snacks typically include a frame surrounded by an outer wrapper. The frame acts as a tray to hold the food product and to protect the food product from damage. One normally gains access to the contents of the container by opening one end of the wrapper, withdrawing the tray from the inside thereof, and then removing the food product from the tray. However, these containers generally do not provide a convenient opening and reclosing arrangement. For example, reclosing of the wrapper, once opened, generally includes simply folding or rolling the end down and clipping the end to keep the wrapper closed.
Reclosable seals have been used for dispensing bags for wet tissues or disposable cleaning wipes. The labels on these bags can be pulled back, thereby exposing an opening, allowing access to the wet tissues or wipes inside. Typically, these dispensing bags are completely flexible, formed exclusively of a plastic or other suitable flexible material which closely surrounds the pack of wet tissues or wipes. Examples of these dispensing bags include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,840,270 and 6,026,953, U.S. Design Pat. No. D 447,054 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0182359. However, such known dispensing bags are not well suited for containing food products as these containers fail to provide adequate protection for storing food products.
One reclosable dispensing bag for wet tissues includes a tamper-evident indicator in the form of a plurality of pre-cut patterns, e.g., small ovals formed in the label which seals the bag closed. Upon pulling back the label for the first time, the plurality of ovals remain affixed to the top of the dispensing bag. Thus, the absence of the ovals from the label and their presence on the top of the dispensing bag indicates the bag has been previously opened.
In another prior dispensing bag for moistened tissues, shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,428,867, tamper evidence is provided by a sealing label with an ink layer in the sealing area which leaves ink indicia in the sealing area to indicate the package has previously been opened.
There is a need in the art for a resealable container suitable for containing food items and which includes a tamper-evident indicator.